I am basically a "power driven" woodworker so I can have very basic questions regarding to handtools.

I have two saws I purchased almost 30 years ago - they were the best one I could found near home. I have used them in a fair number of occasions, mainly when constructing our home.

One is a long classical crosscut saw (also my ripsaw) with 7 TPI. Another one is my back saw for "precise" cuts with 13 DPI.

At the time I learned as "thumb rule" I would need 4-8 teeth into the wood for ripping, so my 7 TPI would fit 1 to 2 inch stock, and 6-10 teeth for crosscut, so my 7 TPI saw would fit the 1/2 to 1 inch range. Almost perfect - and that was the reason I purchased it as virtually all wood I used both for construction as well for cabinet making and furniture was at range from 1/2 in to 2 inches. Then I had no idea on different profiles for the cut teeth for ripping and crosscutting.

I have a couple of questions and I thank you in advance if you can help in the answer:


  1. Is my "thumb rule" correct? - I cannot remember to read it anywhere
  2. If the rule is reasonable, is it equally valid for any wood? It looks me pine and ipe can demand completely different rules (if any)